Dancing and Mistletoe
by Ahria
Summary: Super Fluff! Amelia has a holiday party and that's all I need to say. GL


DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I wasn't smart enough to create Slayers. It's not mine. Please don't sue me.  
  
To my readers: Please read and enjoy. When you're done, PLEASE review it. That'd be cool. This story has gone under some construction, so some stuff is a little different.  
  
Dancing and Mistletoe  
  
"Lina! Hurry up, we're going to be late!" Gourry shouted for what seemed the hundredth time. "I'm coming!" she shouted in reply. About five minuets later she opened the door and stepped into the hall. His eyes widened a bit.  
  
Lina wore a dark green ball gown with black Celtic knots running up the skirt and arms and meeting at the neck line. It was topped off with a black sash tied neatly around her waist. "Hi... Wow, you great..." he stammered. She blushed. "Thanks." She replied, not knowing what else to say. "You look nice too."  
  
He was dressed in a black under shirt and trousers. A long dark blue tunic, embroidered gold around the sleeves was worn over it, showing his muscular figure rather nicely through the clothes.  
  
"Let's go." Gourry said, offering his arm. She took it smiling and blushing deeper. "Zel and Amelia said they'd meet us down there, right?" she asked. "I think that's what they said." "Oh." was her reply, still at a loss for words. "It was nice of Amelia to invite us to her Solstice party even though she said it was really only for royals and nobles." she said, trying to make conversation.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. She said we weren't aloud to eat all the food. We have to leave some for the other guests." He responded, just as embarrassed as she was only he didn't know why. He'd planned this night out a thousand times, hadn't he?  
  
"Geez, I hate this getup." Lina said, tugging at her dress. "I know what you mean. It feels weird not having my sword." He replied, a tad more confidant now. They approached the ballroom as a fast waltz was began to play by the large string orchestra.  
  
"Look there's Amelia." Lina said, pointing to the princess. She was dressed in a pink, low cut ball gown, red silk roses embroidered around the bottom of the skirt. A small gold and diamond tiara sat atop her head.  
  
"Ms. Lina! Mr.Gourry! You guys look great!" she exclaimed when they walked up to her. "Thanks Amelia, so do you." Lina said. Gourry nodded in agreement. Amelia sighed and pointed to the door. "You two walked right under the mistletoe. You're supposed to kiss." she whined. They both turned bright red. "They won't do it, too many people would say I told you so." Zelgaddis said from behind them, dressed in a black long sleeve shirt and matching pants. Lina smacked him.  
  
"Ow!" she growled, cradling her hand. "That hurt!" Zel only laughed at her. "So," Gourry began, changing the subject. "Are you been having a good time?" He glanced at Amelia, then smiled politely. "Sure." Luckily, the princess didn't hear him.  
  
***  
  
The rest of the night passed by uneventfully. Lina stayed with Zel most of the evening, trying their best to remain unnoticed. The only reason was that Amelia, being the good hostess, had to mingle, and Gourry, being quite popular the girls, was constantly dancing with one of them much to a certain sorceress's displeasure.  
  
Lina politely refused to dance with any of the men who asked her, and Zel followed her example. So he and Lina sat in the back of the room, talking about how much they wanted to leave.  
  
Amelia walked up to them and greeted both kindly, ignoring the fact that they had been hiding all evening. A moment later she exclaimed, "Come on Mr. Zelgaddis! The last dance is about to start!" and took his arm. The not-so-young-anymore princess dragged him towards the dance floor. He shot a pleading glance towards Lina (one that she ignored with a smile) before he was out of her range of vision.  
  
As soon as the two of them had disappeared, Gourry came over to Lina. "Hello. Aren't you wanted out there? There's still one dance left." She snapped in reply. "I know." he said, ignoring her venom and took her hand as a slow waltz began. "Let's go." "No!" she exclaimed, pulling away. "But you haven't danced all night." he protested. "And I don't want to!" she yelled, looking fearfully at the dancers. "Don't tell me you don't know how." He said, a strange light appearing in his eyes.  
  
"O-Of course I do." she snapped indignantly. "You really don't, do you?" "So what if I don't?" she demanded. "I'm going to teach you." He decided. "NO, you are not!" she screeched, turning away. His hand caught hers and she was inevitably dragged to the dance floor.  
  
"I should dragon slave you for this." she growled. He smiled sweetly. "And singe your dress? Amelia would never let you hear the end of it." She scowled, but said nothing. He took her hands and placed them on his shoulders, then put his own on her waist.  
  
"It's easy. Now follow my lead." he told her, gliding left. She tried but tripped over the hem of her dress. He caught her without missing a step, and held her about an inch off the ground. After a moment that seemed to stretch forever, he set her down. "Gourry, I can't do this, I'm gonna go sit down." She mumbled but did not pull away. "Yes you can. I have an idea. Close your eyes." "No, I'll fall on my face for sure!" she nearly shouted. "Trust me." he said in such a way that it made her comply without a second thought.  
  
"Fine." she said with a sigh as her eyes slid shut. He pulled her closer. "Don't concentrate so hard. There, that's it..." he said softly. The two danced for a few moments before Lina tripped again. "You're still concentrating too hard." he told her. "If I fall again, I'm sitting down." she warned him. "Fine. Just close your eyes and don't even think of dancing, let it flow."  
  
"I'll try." she replied, doing as she was told. His left arm slid from her side to around her tiny waist. She decided it was a good thing he couldn't see how bright her cheeks where. After a few minuets, she laid her head on his chest.  
  
Her arms slid unnoticed around his neck and the swordsmen pulled her even closer as they danced, all notion of time lost.  
  
*What are you doing?* she asked herself. *He's just being nice, you know he only thinks of you as a little girl.* *Lina probably doesn't mean this the way it seems.* Gourry thought to himself. There was no way she could fall for him, no matter how much he wanted her to. By L-sama, he wanted time to freeze. It was wonderful being this close to her, her trusting him so completely.  
  
After either an eternity or merely a few seconds, for it was both and neither, the song ended with no one really wanting it to. Lina sighed as she opened her eyes, and Gourry released her from his gentle hold.  
  
"See, I told you it was easy, you're a natural." he told her. She blushed furiously, and replied, "Thank you. Where'd you learn to dance so well?" "My mother." He answered. "Oh." She replied, the mysteries lack-of-words disease striking again. "Ms. Lina! Did you have a good time?" Amelia asked out of know where. Lina turned to find the princess standing directly behind her (how she got there being anybody's guess). The sorceress smiled.  
  
"Yeah, I had a good time." "I bet you did." Zel said, gliding up behind them. She glared, but made no reply. Little miss justice was actually oblivious to the tension, being as she was still starry-eyed from her dance with a certain chimera.  
  
"Ms. Lina, come with me, I haven't even given you your present yet." the girl said impatiently, tugging at her arm. "Alright." she said, her eyes holding Gourry's for a reason she couldn't understand, but she was lost in those sapphire orbs. After a long moment, she tore her gaze from his, almost painfully, and followed Amelia to her room.  
  
***  
  
The young princess took a leather-bound book from a shelf and handed it to the pacing sorceress. "Here you go. It's a spell book." she said. Lina quickly took and flipped through its yellowed pages. She knew most of the spells, but there were a few she didn't recognize, so she smiled and said, "Thank you. I like it." "You're welcome. It's not nearly as nice as what you got me." she said, examining the ruby and gold bracelet.  
  
"It was nothing." Lina replied, shrugging. She'd stolen it from some bandit group, whose name she did not remember, a few days prior to the party, but the princess didn't need to know that. "What'd you get Mr. Gourry?" Amelia asked. "We..." she sighed. "agreed not to get each other presents this year." "I see." "I'm gonna go to bed now. It was a great party Amelia." she said with a soft smile.  
  
"Good night." "'Night." Lina replied, shutting the door. Instead of returning to her room, she headed toward the ballroom. She was up the hall, and could hear the last few lingering guests.  
  
"Lina?" came a voice. She turned, and came face to face with Gourry. "Ahhh... you know how we agreed not to get each other presents this year?" he kept going, rather nervously and did not give her a chance to be surprised by his appearance. "Yes." She answered carefully. "Well, I kinda got you one anyway." "Me too." she confessed after a moment. "Lets exchange them at the same time." he suggested.  
  
"Well, yours is in my room." she responded. "Oh, well-" "Come on." she said, walking to her room. They arrived to their destination in silence, both having far too much on their mind for a decent conversation. Riffling through a drawer, she eventually found a small silk pouch. "Here." she said triumphantly, handing it to him. As he took it, his fingers brushed ever so slightly against hers. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small wooden box.  
  
Just as he had suggested, they opened them at the same time. Hers was a small silver ring, the band engraved with runes of love, faith, and destiny. An emerald was set at the top. She tried to keep the tears from rushing to her eyes and hoped he did not see this one sign of weakness.  
  
Gourry turned the silver and sapphire pendent in his hand. Something he couldn't identify had been carved into the edges. "It's Elvin. It'll protect you from all the danger I put you in." she supplied when she noticed his slightly baffled but immensely awed look. "Lina, you know I don't care about that. You know I-" "I know, but I care, Gourry. If something where to happen to you because of me, I-" she cut herself off. "This is beautiful. I love it, thank you." she said, changing the subject.  
  
"I'm glad you like it." he said with a sigh. She hugged him, loving the fact she could feel his heart beat. After she pulled away, his eyes swept over her once more. "Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?" he asked. She smiled. "Yes." "Well, I thought I'd tell you again." "Thank you." "You know, Amelia was right." he commented. "About what?" she questioned.  
  
"About us breaking tradition." he replied, pushing a lock of hair away from her face. She moved in closer. "Well we can't just go around breaking traditions." She said softly as the gap between them steadily decreased. "No we can't..." he muttered, then leaned in and captured her lips with his. The kiss was short and sweet, leaving both confused.  
  
"Lina I have to tell you..." he stopped.  
  
"What?" she demanded, heart pounding. He took a deep breath.  
  
"It shouldn't be this hard." He muttered, studying the ground.  
  
"What shouldn't?" she asked, beginning to get annoyed.  
  
"To tell you that I. That I." he stuttered.  
  
"To tell me what?" she exclaimed.  
  
" To tell you that I love you." he blurted. She stared in disbelief, not speaking. "I was hoping you'd wear that ring as a wedding ring but I know you prob-"  
  
"I love you too." She interrupted. Gourry gave her a smile that made night turn to day. He kissed her again, this time, time seemed to disappear, leaving only them. Finally they parted, and both looked deep in the others eyes, the way only lovers can. "I should go to bed." Lina finally said.  
  
"Yeah, me too." She opened the door and he walked outside, then turned and looked at her. She smiled, and gave him one last kiss before whispering goodnight and shutting the door.  
  
Gourry stared after her a moment, and with a grin, walked to his room.  
  
Thanks for reading!! REVIEW!  
  
-Ahria 


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